diff --git a/tests/rsrc/i18n/messages.properties b/tests/rsrc/i18n/messages.properties
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f74c65868
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/rsrc/i18n/messages.properties
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+#
+# $Id: messages.properties,v 1.1 2002/02/28 23:12:27 mdb Exp $
+#
+# Test localization properties file
+
+m.foo = Foo arg one is ''{0}'' and two is ''{1}''.
+m.biff = Biff arg one is ''{0}'' and two is ''{1}''.
+m.meta = Meta arg one is ''{0}'' and two is ''{1}''.
diff --git a/tests/src/java/com/threerings/util/MessageBundleTest.java b/tests/src/java/com/threerings/util/MessageBundleTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b24f98a5c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/src/java/com/threerings/util/MessageBundleTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+//
+// $Id: MessageBundleTest.java,v 1.1 2002/02/28 23:12:27 mdb Exp $
+
+package com.threerings.util;
+
+import java.util.ResourceBundle;
+
+import junit.framework.Test;
+import junit.framework.TestCase;
+
+/**
+ * Tests the {@link MessageBundle} class.
+ */
+public class MessageBundleTest extends TestCase
+{
+    public MessageBundleTest ()
+    {
+        super(MessageBundleTest.class.getName());
+    }
+
+    public void runTest ()
+    {
+        try {
+            ResourceBundle rbundle =
+                ResourceBundle.getBundle("rsrc.i18n.messages");
+            MessageBundle bundle = new MessageBundle("test", rbundle);
+
+            String key1 = MessageBundle.compose("m.foo",
+                                                MessageBundle.taint("bar"),
+                                                MessageBundle.taint("baz"));
+            String key2 = MessageBundle.compose("m.biff",
+                                                MessageBundle.taint("beep"),
+                                                MessageBundle.taint("boop"));
+            String key = MessageBundle.compose("m.meta", key1, key2);
+
+            String output = bundle.xlate(key);
+            if (!OUTPUT.equals(output)) {
+                fail("xlate failed: " + output);
+            }
+
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            fail("Test failed: " + e);
+        }
+    }
+
+    public static Test suite ()
+    {
+        return new MessageBundleTest();
+    }
+
+    public static void main (String[] args)
+    {
+        MessageBundleTest test = new MessageBundleTest();
+        test.runTest();
+    }
+
+    protected static final String OUTPUT =
+        "Meta arg one is 'Foo arg one is 'bar' and two is 'baz'.' and " +
+        "two is 'Biff arg one is 'beep' and two is 'boop'.'.";
+}